A rush-hour crash involving two heavy goods vehicles and a car brought the M6 southbound to a standstill on Friday, May 22, 2026.
The incident occurred between Junction 19 at Knutsford and Junction 18 at Middlewich, just after the entry slip-road at Junction 19.
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Delays and Traffic Impact
National Highways reported that congestion stretched back five miles to Junction 20 at the M56 Lymm Interchange, causing delays of up to 40 minutes.
All southbound traffic was temporarily held for about 10 minutes from 7:50 AM, according to the Inrix traffic monitoring service.
Lane one remained closed initially after lanes reopened, worsening delays for commuters from Greater Manchester via the A556 southbound.
Emergency services and highway personnel responded quickly to clear the vehicles and manage the gridlock.
A live traffic camera showed a damaged car and a truck stopped on the inside lane before recovery operations were completed.
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In an update on X, a spokesperson said traffic officers were on scene, with 30-minute delays and four miles of congestion on the approach.
The temporary closure caused cascading delays across the local road network before vehicles could be safely moved.
Cheshire Police confirmed the multi-vehicle accident did not result in any casualties.
A police spokeswoman stated the collision involved two HGVs and a car, with no reports of injuries.
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The scene was cleared by around 9:15 AM, and National Highways confirmed all lanes had reopened with residual queues easing.
